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Twenty-six political parties in Zambia have reportedly committed to strengthening efforts to increase women’s participation in politics ahead of the 2026 general elections, following a two-day inter-party meeting held from May 5 to 6, 2025.
The meeting, convened by the Non-governmental Gender Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) and the Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID), brought together representatives from both ruling and opposition parties.
In a joint communiqué issued in Lusaka on Wednesday, the parties reaffirmed their commitment to equity, equality, and non-discrimination in Zambia’s democratic governance.
They acknowledged their key role in shaping the political landscape and expressed concern over the continued underrepresentation of women, persons with disabilities, and youth in leadership.
“We are concerned with the very low number of women, persons with disabilities, and youths at Cabinet, parliamentary, and local government levels,” the communiqué read.
The parties identified electoral violence, financial barriers, and entrenched patriarchal and traditional practices as major obstacles to inclusive political participation.
They pledged to address these challenges by mainstreaming gender in their party manifestos, introducing intra-party quotas for leadership and candidate selection, and enhancing the capacity of aspiring female, youth, and disabled candidates.
They also encouraged those lacking the required Grade 12 certificates to pursue further education and committed to collectively ending political violence.
The communiqué further urged the government to consider enacting a Political Parties Law to improve the representation of marginalized groups in governance.
ZCID board member Serah Chintu welcomed the unified commitment from the parties, stating, “We have been reinvigorated and strengthened by each other’s experiences and aspirations to address the underrepresentation of women, persons with disabilities, and youth with renewed vigor and in a collective manner.”
She described the meeting as a significant milestone towards fostering inclusive and equitable political participation in Zambia.
Signatories to the communiqué included:
United Party for National Development (UPND), Patriotic Front (PF), Socialist Party (SP), Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), and 22 other parties:
Christian Democratic Party, Citizens Democratic Party, Democratic National Party, Democratic Union, Economic Freedom Fighters, Forum for Democracy and Development, Golden Party Zambia, Movement for Democratic Change, National Restoration Party, New Congress Party, New Era Democratic Party, New Heritage Party, Party for National Unity and Progress, Patriots for Economic Progress, People’s Alliance for Change, The Zambia We Want, United for Better Zambia, United Front for a Strong Foundation, United Liberal Party, United Party for a Progressive Zambia, Zambia United for Sustainable Development, and Zambia Wake Up Party.
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